Grease trap cleaning for restaurants and commercial kitchens: what you need to know.
A grease trap (or grease interceptor) captures fats, oils, and grease before they enter the sewer system. It is a required component of commercial kitchen drain systems in Georgia and most jurisdictions. Maintaining it properly is both a health code requirement and basic operational practice.
How a grease trap works
Wastewater from commercial kitchen fixtures flows into the grease trap. Because grease is less dense than water, it floats to the top of the trap while water and heavier solids pass through to the sewer. The accumulated grease layer is captured in the trap until it is pumped out.
Grease traps come in different sizes — smaller in-ground units for lower-volume operations, larger grease interceptors for high-volume kitchens. The required size is specified by local health and plumbing codes based on fixture count and expected FOG (fat, oil, grease) load.
How often to pump the grease trap
The standard guideline: pump when the trap is 25% full of FOG and solids. How often that occurs depends on kitchen volume and what is being cooked. High-volume fry operations may need monthly pumping; lighter-use commercial kitchens might manage quarterly.
Most health jurisdictions require documented pumping records. Keep pump-out receipts and service records.
Grease trap pumping vs. drain line jetting — different services
Pumping removes captured FOG from inside the trap. Jetting clears the drain lines connected to the trap — the pipes from kitchen fixtures to the trap inlet, and the lines from the trap outlet to the sewer. Both services are necessary; they address different parts of the system. A pumped trap connected to a grease-packed drain line is still a backed-up kitchen.
Signs the grease trap needs attention
Slow drainage from kitchen fixtures. Sewage or grease smell in the kitchen area. Visible grease backing up toward fixtures. A grease trap that fills faster than expected (may indicate a trap that is undersized or a higher grease load than it was designed for).
Call Sunburst Environmental at 678-799-4389 for same-day service across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, or request a free estimate online.